Chinese word

蒸

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhēng

Meaning

  • verbsteam

Example

这个包子是蒸的，很热。zhè ge bāo zi shì zhēng de hěn rè

This bun is steamed and very hot.

Illustration for 蒸 (steam)

More examples

厨房里有人在用蒸锅把鱼蒸。chú fáng lǐ yǒu rén zài yòng zhēng guō bǎ yú zhēng

Someone in the kitchen is steaming fish in a steamer.

Core concept

Hot vapor surrounds food or another object and heats it until it becomes soft or cooked.

Common phrases

  • 蒸包子zhēng bāo zi

    steam buns

  • 蒸鱼zhēng yú

    steam fish

  • 蒸蔬菜zhēng shū cài

    steam vegetables

Similar words

煮zhǔ: Heating food while it is covered by liquid until it becomes tender.
煎jiān: Frying food in a little oil on one or both sides.
炒chǎo: Stir-frying food quickly in hot oil in a pan.
烤kǎo: Heating food over a flame or in an oven until the surface turns brown.

Definition in Chinese

用水或其他液体产生的热气加热食物或物体，使其熟化或变软的动作或过程。yòng shuǐ huò qí tā yè tǐ chǎn shēng de rè qì jiā rè shí wù huò wù tǐ shǐ qí shú huà huò biàn ruǎn de dòng zuò huò guò chéng

Word origin

蒸 (zhēng, "steam") originally referred to vapor rising, and its cooking sense developed from using that vapor to heat food until it becomes soft or cooked.

Usage tips

  • This word helps separate steaming from boiling and frying because it highlights heat carried by vapor rather than direct contact with water or oil.

Opposites

Related words

  • 蒸发zhēng fāevaporateverb
  • 蒸汽zhēng qìsteamnoun
  • 蒸馏zhēng liúdistillverb

Word lists with this word